A Romance Rekindled
by N Tonks Fan
Summary: Rory visits Jess in Philadelphia and finds some of her old feelings fo him returning.


**I'm going through a Rory and Jess phase just now and became inspired to write some ff about them. I have a few ideas planned and this is the first one. It is set in series 5 the episode where Rory goes to see Jess in Philadelphia. I just took that idea of her turning up at the event and then went on from there.**

"You came," a grin broke out on Jess's face as Rory made her way through the crowd towards him.

"Of course I did," Rory beamed, glancing around the room.

"You didn't have to..." Jess tailed off.

"I know," Rory said simply. "I wanted to."

"So, uh, how about a tour?" Jess asked awkwardly.

Rory smiled and nodded in reply. Jess gently guided her around the room introducing her to his friends and pointing out various aspects of the room.

"I'm glad you decided to return to Yale," Jess told her as they walked around.

"Me too," she replied.

"Hey Jess!" a voice called.

"I, uh, should get back to them," Jess said, slowly backing away.

"It's fine," Rory said. "I'll take another look around, have some coffee..."

Jess returned twenty minutes later. "Sorry."

"It's ok," Rory replied. "I mingled, spoke to a few people, ate a few sandwiches. So how are you Jess? I mean this is all great! You've done so well for yourself!"

"I'm fine..." Jess shrugged.

"Any special people in your life?" Rory probed.

Jess shook his head. "You?"

"You remember Logan right?" Rory avoided his gaze.

"You're not serious!" Jess exclaimed.

"No kidding around here," Rory stated.

Jess grabbed her hand and gazed intently into her eyes. "He's not right for you! "

"He's not perfect no but I love him anyway," Rory admitted.

"Love!" Jess yelped.

"Yes..." Rory said quietly, pulling her hand out of his.

"Oh come on Rory you can do so much better! You should have so much better!" He let his hand drop limply by his side.

"You just met Logan at a bad time," Rory muttered.

"Hmmphh." He crossed his arms and gazed sullenly at her.

"Oh Jess please! If you met him again you'd understand. I'd like you two to get along," Rory pleaded.

"No chance!" Jess spat.

"If you just took the time to –"

"I said no Rory!" Jess cut in angrily.

Without another word he span around and stormed out through the front door, pushing past people forcefully as he went.

Rory hesitated before running after him. Once out in the dark street she gazed around wildly and could just see the back of him disappearing around a corner at the far end of the block. She sprinted down the street shouting apologies to the passerby's that she banged into in her haste to catch up with Jess. As she rounded the corner she flew straight into Jess's back.

"Hey watch it!" he yelled.

"Jess!" Rory cried.

"Rory!" he looked around.

"I'm – really – sorry," she panted.

"Did you run after me?" Jess asked in an amused tone. "You never do any sort of physical activity!"

"Hence the out of breath part," Rory gasped.

Jess put a hand on her back, "Are you alright?" he asked concerned. "Let me get you some water."

"I'm fine," Rory said quickly. "Look Jess I'm really sorry. I didn't come here to fight with you. I hate it when we're fighting."

"Me too," he said quietly, his hand still lingering on her back.

"It's just that you and Logan both mean so much to me, I'd really like you to get to know each other properly," Rory explained.

"I can't!" Jess replied strongly.

"Stop being so stubborn!"

"I'm not being stubborn," Jess retorted.

"Then why?" Rory wailed.

"Will you just drop it," Jess muttered heatedly.

"No! I will not drop it until you give me a straight answer. I can be stubborn too you know!" Rory stated.

"Because I still love you ok?" Jess shouted. "I love you Rory Gilmore and I cannot bear to see you with another guy so that is why I will not become best friends with your boyfriend!"

Rory fell silent.

"I'm out of here," Jess made to turn away but Rory grabbed his arm.

"After all this time?" she asked quietly.

"Every single day."

"Oh Jess..."

"Look Rory I know we've had our issues in the past but we're both much more mature now. We live completely different lives to the ones we had back in Stars Hollow. If you were just willing to give it a go – "

"But Logan..." Rory tailed off.

"Forget him! He's a jerk! Look I know you still feel something for me, otherwise why would you have come all the way out here to see me?"

"Because you're my friend and that's what friends do," Rory explained gently.

"Oh come on Rory," Jess retorted.

"OK, yeah maybe seeing you tonight did bring up some old feelings but I moved on Jess. I moved on a long time ago and I thought you had too."

Jess remained silent. Rory glanced despairingly around the deserted street.

"I hope I didn't give you any ideas by turning up like this," she mumbled.

"You didn't."

"Good..."

Silence fell between the two. The only sounds that could be heard were the distant rumblings of traffic.

"Maybe I should g-" Rory began.

"What if he wasn't around," Jess asked suddenly. "Would it be different?"

"I don't know... maybe," Rory replied after a moments hesitation.

"We were great together, you know it, I know it. I just know that if you gave us another chance we'd be even better than before," Jess implored. He stepped towards her and tenderly stroked her cheek. "Please," he whispered before leaning even closer and kissing her softly.

As they pulled away Rory looked up at him helplessly. "Before I came here tonight my life was simple! I was with Logan and completely over you, I mean we were a long time ago Jess..."

"But now?"

"I don't know!" she wailed. "That kiss! You! Logan! I don't know what to do... I need time."

"Fine. Take some time," Jess started backing away from her, never breaking eye contact.

Rory sighed, wringing her hands nervously.

"I can't decide now," she told him. "I need more time. I have to see Logan first."

"No you don't," Jess said earnestly. "Just look into your heart."

A long silence stretched out between them before Rory finally spoke again.

"Ok," she said simply.

"Ok?" he asked.

"Ok," she repeated firmly.

"Ok!" Jess grinned.

He ran back towards her, grabbing her by the waist and spinning her around. Rory squealed and planted a quick kiss on his cheek as he set her back down.

"I have to speak to Logan first," she said anxiously.

"I've waited this long. I'm sure I can wait a few more days," Jess said seriously.

He leaned into kiss her again but she placed a hand over his mouth.

"Not until I end things with Logan," she told him sternly, receiving a wicked grin in reply.

Jess put his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, just make it quick."

"Jess! This is someone I love, or at least thought I did," Rory tailed off. "I need to let him down gently."

"Oh who cares!" Jess whined. "He's a big boy, he can handle it."  
>Rory punched him lightly on the arm. "It's not too late to change my mind you know Mr."<p>

"Ok, I get it. Shutting up now," Jess grinned.

"Stop acting so happy!" Rory complained lightly. "I'm about to break someone's heart ."

"You're breaking one to heal another," Jess said simply.

Before Rory could stop him he leaned in and kissed her again.

Rory smiled as she pulled away from him. "I told you to stop that," she told him off, her eyes sparkling. "Jess how will this work?" she asked on a more serious note. "We live so far apart."

"Typical Rory," he rolled his eyes. "Don't think about that just now, just focus on us here just now in this dark empty street in Philadelphia."

"You're missing out on all the fun! We should get you back inside, come on," she started dragging him back around the corner.

"It's much more fun out here," Jess told her.

They reached the place where Rory had parked her car outside Jess's building.

"I should go," Rory said.

"You should," Jess agreed. "Go on, back to Yale to dump Mr Goldilocks."

"Don't be mean," Rory said as she opened the door to her car.

"Drive safe," he ignored her previous comment. "Call me the second you dump him ok? Or even better call me during it and let me listen."

"Jess!" she cried. "I still care for him you know. I will call you though." she sat down in her car and made to close the door but stopped. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," Jess admitted. "Oh and Rory!" he called as she was about to close the door. "I love you."

"I love you too Jess."

**That's it! It's not the best piece of writing, it's mostly dialogue but I was thinking of the characters talking through the lines as I wrote them and playing through the episode in my head. I also wanted to keep the characters as true to the original series as I could, hopefully I have achieved this. If you have time I'd love to know what you think. **


End file.
